Ford Aerostar
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The Ford Aerostar was Ford's first attempt at building a minivan, and was introduced as a 1986 model in summer 1985.
Early models were available with Ford's 2.3 L HSO I4 engine, which at 100 hp was grossly underpowered for a van that could carry up to seven passengers and luggage. Available as an upgrade initially was Ford's also-underpowered 2.9 L V6; later models came with either the corporate 3.0 L Vulcan V6 found in the Taurus and Ranger, or (starting in 1990) the Explorer/Ranger's 4.0 L Cologne V6.
The Aerostar was Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year for 1990 [link].
The Aerostar was distinguished by using a modified pickup truck chassis integral to its unibody construction. This design was developed because the designers in Ford's truck office were unfamiliar and uncomfortable with unibody construction, and essentially designed a frame into the unibody (this construction was also used on the Chevrolet/GMC G-Series vans and the second generation Jeep Cherokee). The aerodynamic styling was similar to the Ford Taurus, which was introduced at the same time. A commercial ad stated that the Aerostar's front nose resembled the NASA Space Shuttle; Ford often compared the Aerostar to the Space Shuttle in its advertising.
Models ranged from the base (and most popular) XL to the luxury XLT (which provided an upgraded interior, digital instrument cluster with tachometer in the early years, power options, nicer wheels or wheel covers, etc) and in some years an Eddie Bauer model (which had all XLT features in addition to leather seating, and was only available with a tan interior and a tan exterior tu-tone available with other select colors). Also, a "Sport" option was an aesthetic upgrade to XL or XLT models and included a front air dam, running boards with an "AEROSTAR" logo, tu-tone paint (usually with silver as the accent color) including the bumpers painted in the accent color (instead of dark grey like other models), and "Sport" badging. Major options included rear air, an extended length model in 1988-on, E4WD (see below), etc. Most models included rear-seat controls for the audio and rear climate control if so equipped. Most models also came equipped with A/C, intermittent wipers, rear wiper, rear defogger, and so forth. In 1995, built-in child safety seats were made part of the middle bench seat. Rear-wheel ABS was standard in most years, as was the case with most Ford trucks. 4-wheel ABS was not an option, curiously enough.
The Aerostar was a rear-wheel drive vehicle, unlike the Chrysler minivans. This compromised interior space somewhat (although providing a level load floor unlike the deep-well like design of a front-wheel drive minivan) but provided superior towing ability as well as increased traction when loaded.
However, for those requiring more traction, Ford provided. Starting in 1990 and on through 1997, Ford made available an all-wheel drive Aerostar, which used an electronically-controlled system, and was available on any trim level. This was a different system than other four-wheel drive Ford vehicles in that the system engaged when it detected rear wheel spin, powering the front wheels automatically with no driver imput requried. It was essentially an early version of the all-wheel drive systems now used on modern-day SUVs.
All four-wheel drive (called "E4WD" by Ford, standing for Electronic 4 Wheel Drive) Aerostars used the 4.0 L Cologne V6 rated at 160 hp. The Aerostar was available with either a 5-speed manual (which was discontinued in 1995) or the 4-speed A4LD automatic. For 1996, both the 4-speed 4R44E and 5-speed automatic 4R55E transmissions became available, replacing the A4LD.
Since the Aerostar used truck parts (the brake rotors, axle bearings, wheels, etc. were all interchangeable with the Ford Ranger, Bronco II, and Explorer), essentially any interchangeable truck option for power and suspension was available. A lot of Aerostar owners upgrade to 15 in or 16 in wheels from a Ford Explorer, Ranger or Mustang (Jeep wheels will also interchange, and 15 in Cherokee wheels provide a worthy aesthetic enhancement as well as better handling, though the lower profile tires such as those on Laredo models are required for clearance reasons). One noted difference is that the Aerostar had a 4-link coil spring rear suspension with a live axle, similar to the Ford Crown Victoria and Fox-body Mustang. The 5-speed manual transmission was shared with other Ford and Mazda truck products, including the Mazda Navajo/Ford Explorer, Ford Ranger and Ford F-150. This unit was designed by Ford, but built by Mazda. As these transmissions get older, they are known for failure due to the synchros overheating. The problem is first noticed by a whine in one or more gears, that gradually gets louder and eventually the transmission refuses to go into some gears. Rebuilding is the only option at this point. Usually, this problem only occures on higher-mileage vehicles, and can be avoided by servicing the transmission and by not exceeding the recommended towing capacity.
The Aerostar received no major styling changes (aside from a new grille and relocation of the "AEROSTAR" logo from the front fenders to the rear liftgate in 1988) until 1992, when flush-mounted headlamps were fitted, a new grille, and inside a redesigned dashboard that incorporated a driver's side airbag and a column-mounted gearshift, finally replacing the floor-mounted shifter that blocked access to the rear seats from the front. A "mini-console" replaced the floor shift (except in manual transmission models), and provided two cup holders and a coin holder. Standard instruemnts included a 90 mph speedometer, a digital odometer capable of reading up to 999,999.9 miles (instead of the old 5-digit style), oil pressure, fuel gauge, volt meter, and temperature. The speedometer was also now electroncily controlled, replacing of the old, "shakey-needle" cable operated one of 1986-1991. This also makes replacing the instrument cluster eaiser.
The Aerostar was produced at Ford's St. Louis, Missouri assembly plant, which is currently building Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, and Lincoln Aviator until it will be closed soon.
Ford eventually replaced the Aerostar with the Ford Windstar in 1995. The Aerostar was sold until 1997, after overlapping for 3 years. When Ford tried to discontinue the Aerostar after the 1994 model year, the Ford Motor Company headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan was bombarded with letters from the public and dealerships, insisting that the Aerostar continue production. Ford agreed, and kept the "mid-van" (smaller than a full-size van, but bigger and more truck-like than traditional front-wheel drive minivans) until it would no longer meet federal safety standards and would cost too much to redesign for the use of a passenger's side airbag (in 1997, the Aerostar was the only Ford vehicle left without one).
In 1997, to comemorate its last year, Ford fitted the Aerostar with unique monochomatic taillights (instead of the red/white/amber of 1986-1996). Also, all 1997 Aerostars were XLT models; no base model was available. The unique taillights are often a popular customizing choice of pre-1997 Aerostar owners who wish to make their Aerostar stand out a bit. Retrofitting them on to a pre-1997 Aerostar requires drilling an extra hole inside for the turn signal indicator.
Right up until production ended, 100,000+ Aerostars were sold a year, much better than competitors from GM or imports like Honda or Toyota at the time.
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